1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display device, more particularly, to a system and method for testing a liquid crystal display device which is able to automatically determine whether a thin transistor array substrate and a color filter array substrate are malfunction ones based on an automatic malfunction determining system in order to reduce the time and the number of workers required for malfunction testing and to improve success rate of malfunction determination.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With rising public interest in information display, research, studies and commercialization for flat panel display (FPD) devices have been in progress. Especially, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices of such FPD devices require optically anisotropic liquid to present an image and the LCD devices are good in resolution, color display and image quality such that they may be applied in laptop computers or desktop computer monitors actively.
The LCD device may include a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate, color filter substrate and liquid crystal layer formed between the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate.
Here, the TFT array substrate includes gate and data lines, TFTs and pixel electrodes. The gate and data lines are arranged on the TFT array substrate horizontally and vertically to define a pixel area. The TFT is formed in each area formed by the gate and data lines as switching element crossed each other and the pixel electrode is formed in the pixel area.
The color filter substrate includes a color filter and a black matrix. The color filter is configured of sub-color filters, for example, R, G and B. The black matrix divides the color filter into the sub-color filters to define the pixel area and it cuts off light transmitting the liquid crystal layer. In addition, the color filter substrates may include a transparent common electrode applying common voltage to the liquid crystal layer. Here, the common electrode may be formed on the TFT array substrate.
The TFT array substrate and the color substrate having the above configuration are attached to each other by sealant to be a liquid crystal display panel.
This liquid crystal display device may be manufactured through an TFT array process, a color filter process, a cell process and a module process.
First, in the TFT array process, photolithography and etching are repeated such that the TFT array may be formed on a first substrate that is a transparent insulating substrate. In the color filter process, the black matrix is formed on a second substrate that is a transparent insulating substrate to cut off light except the pixel areas and color filters of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) are formed by using dye or pigment.
Prior to the cell process, an auxiliary process of testing the array and color filter substrate to detect a defect is necessary is to check the state of TFT array and color filter substrates.
In the cell process, the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate are attached to each other by a sealant and here a predetermined cell gap is maintained between the TFT array substrate and the color filter substrate. Before or after attaching the substrates, liquid crystal is formed between the first and second substrates to form a liquid crystal display panel cell.
In the module process, a circuit for processing signals is connected with the LCD panel by using mount technology that is well-known knowledge in this art to be installed in a framework of an apparatus to manufacture a LCD module.
The testing process of the TFT array and color filter substrates prior to the cell process as mentioned above is performed to detect whether the TFT array and color filter substrates are detective in exterior appearance or electrically, for example, whether there is color filter grind, oblique blemish, rubbing line, pin hole and open or short of the gate/data line.
A testing system of the related art includes a testing unit for detecting defectiveness of the TFT array substrate or color filter substrate and a repair system for repairing the defectiveness in case that there is the defectiveness of the substrate based on the result of the testing.
The testing unit includes a testing device, a system computer and a monitor. The testing device tests the TFT array substrate or color filter substrate to detect defectiveness. The system computer operates the testing device and the system computer is connected with the monitor. A keyboard and mouse are connected with the system computer to operate the system computer and a review monitor is mounted in the testing device such that a worker may identify defectiveness of the substrate via the review monitor.
According to the testing system of the related art, a single review monitor is connected with the repair computer in one-to-one such that a testing worker may control the single testing device. However, the above testing system of the related art has a disadvantage that the testing device is not operated during the lunch break or rest of the worker and this might result in time loss and work deterioration. In addition, the testing system of the related art requires testing workers as many as the testing devices.